I'm Clementine
by ClementineTWDG
Summary: Clementine, with a colorful past, is about to start 6th grade. But she knows that the real things is a hell of a lot different then what those books and stereotypes that people talk about. With her mother in afghanistan and her father in jail, and Middle school just around the corner, can she handle it? Middle school AU, no walkers.
1. Chapter 1

**PROLOUGE**

Clementine sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She was sitting in the waiting room at the police station. Fiddling with her thumbs nervously. She didnt like the reason why she was here. It made her sad.

Her daddy was arrested for rape.

Clementine didnt know what rape was, but she knew it was bad. Daddy did a bad thing, and he was going to be gone for awhile.

The big men with the blue uniforms questioned her. Asking if he ever touched her. He didnt. Why would he touch her? He hugs her, kisses her, tickles her, but is that the same thing?

The blue-shirted men said no.

And now she was here.

Mommy was in Afghanistan, serving in the army as a nurse. She left not that long ago, and she wasnt aloud to come home until her three years of service was up. Clementine missed mommy. She would know what to do.

But she wasnt. And clementine was alone, waiting. Waiting for uncle Lee.

"Hey, kid. Wanna come talk to your mom? Shes on the phone."

Clementine looked up to see a man with another blue uniform offering a cell phone to Clementine from around the corner. She nodded nervously, and he approached her and handed her the phone.

"Clementine, baby?" Diana asked, sounding happy and relieved.

Clementine held the phone close to her ear with both hands.

"Hey, mommy." The eight-year-old responded sadly, kicking her legs in her seat.

Diana sighed. "Oh, sweetheart. Im so glad you're alright."

Clementine started to cry. "They took daddy, mommy! Why do they have to be so mean?"

Diana shook her head on the other end of the phone. "No, baby, thats not it. Daddy did a bad thing, a very bad thing. He cant be around you."

Clementine wiped her eyes. Sniffing. "Will i ever see him again? Or is he gone forever?"

Diana felt tears welling up in her eyes herself.

"i... I dont know, sweetheart."

Clementine whimpered.

"will YOU ever come back?"

Diana felt her heart stop. What could she tell her? War was a dangerous place to be. Diana could possibly lose her life. But... She knew that she wanted to see her daughter again...

"of course, honey. It'll be a while. A long time. But youll see me again... I promise."

Clementne stayed silent on the other end of the phone.

"Until then, Uncle Lee will take care of you. You'll like him, im sure. Hes a nice man."

"But ive never met him before!" Clementine protested.

"I know, Clem. But now you can get to know him, okay?" Diana was getting emotional at the sound of her daughters frightened voice. She just wanted her to be safe.

There was a long moment of silence on the phone, all Diana could hear was Clementines heavy breathing.

"I love you, Clem." Diana sighed. "You'll always be my little girl. Ill be back before you know it."

Clementine felt a single tear find its way down her face.

"I miss you mommy." She whined.

Diana felt her tears go over the brink.

"i know, honey. Me too."

Diana hung up.

...

Clementine, in tears, handed the phone back to the officer. He tipped his hat at her respectively. Clementine shut her eyes and cried silently. She never felt so alone.

She felt someone tap her shoulder, and a different officer was standing there.

"c'mon, your uncle is here."

Clementine stood and followed the officer to the next room. Where a large glass window stretched across. There were dividers, and telephones connected through the wall. It was empty, except for the one, lone man sitting in the far corner window. He had his head down. Staring at his hands.

The man looked up, and she stared into the eyes of her father. His hair was unkempt and his eyes were glazed with exhaustion and depression. He looked at her sadly. Regret radiating off him in waves. Clementine has never seen her daddy like that. She saw him as strong and brave. But now, with his hands bound by chains and draped with a dirty orange jumpsuit, hes never seemed weaker.

"sweet pea." He started. "Im sorry! Please understand, i love you! Its all a big mistake!"

Clementine didnt respond.

Ed turned violently, pulling on his restraints and glaring at the police officer.

"where the hell are you taking my daughter?!"

The officer just stared coldly ahead. Unfazed.

Ed, panic edging his gaze, turned to see the officer opening the door for clementine. She had her head down as she exited. Leaving a terrified Ed behind.

"Clementine!"

BANG...

Clementine wiped her eyes again, letting out feeble sniffs and whimpers.

The officer pointed to the nearest door.

"Hes in that room,"

Clementine breathed in, and slowly pushed open the door.

A man, leaning on and talking to an officer over a desk, turned his head to see Clementine enter the room. He smiled and stood at the sight of Clementine. Her hat covering her face.

He was a middle aged african-american, black hair and a small black beard that rimmed his mouth and cheeks. He had a comforting gaze that settled on Clementine with a soft feeling to them.

"Hey, clementine." He said. His voice had a soothing sound to it. He bent down and offered a hand to Clementine, smiling.

she looked at it warily.

"its okay, i dont bite." He joked.

Clementine hesitantly lifted her hand up to meet his. he shaked her hand gently before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Youve grown since the last time i saw you." He stated. "And that was when you were only a little baby."

She shyly ducked away from his gaze, and he let out a chuckle of amusement.

"I know, you dont remember it." He grinned, before standing and shaking hands with the officers.

"Im sorry about what my brother-in-law did. Thank you for your work."

"its no trouble."

Lee thanked the officer at the desk before turning and offering another hand to Clementine.

"Lets go, Clem. Maybe we can get to know eachother better."

Clementine didnt know why, but something about her uncle made her trust him, and she, without thinking, took hold of his hand and squeezed it.

"okay." She responded. she looked up at Lee, making eye contact.

And she smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**THREE YEARS LATER**

 ***beep* *beep* *beep***

"uuhhg..."

Clementines hand shot out from under the pillow, pounding her fist on the snooze button. But after doing so, she reached down and tore the cord out of the wall to prevent it from going off again. The screen froze on the numbers 6:00 am.

Clementine rubbed her eyes groggily, sitting up in bed. Her golden eyes shone exhaustion like no other. She glanced over towards her calender.

September 1st... Ugh...

Why did her alarm go off so early? School didnt start for another two days!

Climbing out of bed, she could faintly smell cooking coming from downstairs. Pancakes? Sausages? Bacon?

Clementine tiredly made her way over to her small mirror, where she looked up her face. She fixed her pigtails, making sure they were just right. Very soon after she moved in with Lee, he had taken her to get a haircut. Clementine didnt know what to get, so Lee chose for her. Cut short enough to be put in pigtails. At the time she didnt like it, but it was easier to put her hat on. Now she just loved it.

She fixed her hat on her head again. Funny thng with the hat. It was her fathers, and as much as she hated him now, she loved the hat. It reminded her of how it used to be, back before everyting went down. When her dad was a good man. Back when she had a normal family. A family that she was actually able to see on a daily basis.

For instance, she hasnt seen or heard from her mom since that last phone call. Three years ago. She didnt know what happened to her. And she hasnt had any contact with her dad. Not like she'd like to.

"She probably left for good." Clementine said to herself in the mirror. As sad as it made her, who would want to come home to this?

"shes just a liar. She said she would come back, and she lied. She is ever coming back."

Clementine turned away from the mirror and threw on a sweatshirt before exiting her bedroom.

"Now, look who is awake." Lee called from the kitchen. He was preparing breakfast the best he could. Ever since his divorce, having a decent-well cooked meal was hard.

Clementine trudged down the stairs, yawning.

"were you the one to set my alarm early?" She asked, settling herself in at the table and leaning on her hand.

Lee looked over his shoulder at her forlorn face. Ever since the day he picked her up at the station, shes been distant. Refusing to discuss anything about her feelings. Shes grown steadily closer to Lee, but hardly enough. The secong Lee tries to get to know her she shuts down. Closing him out and keeping to herself. It made Lee sad, but he was a patient man. Someday she will talk, and he will listen.

"Just getting you ready for school in a few days. Its coming fast, you know. Dont want it to be sudden."

Clementine rubbed her face and nodded. "Yeah... School. Yippee..."

Lee smiled, turning with a plate of bacon.

"i made it the way you like it. Extra soft." He placed the plate in front of her. Eyeing it, she looked up at Lees comforting face.

"Thanks..." She said, and started poking at the meat with her fork.

Lee frowned and sat across from her.

"Whats wrong? C'mon Clementine, you know you can talk to me."

Clem turned her head away and stopped playing with her food. She didnt want to talk to him. She just wanted a real family. She wanted a mother and a father to talk to. She always felt alone. And she wished he would stop acting like her dad.

"nothing." She responded, taking a small bite of the bacon. Avoiding his eyes.

"Clementine-"

Clementine threw her fork on the plate.

"i said, im fine." She repeated, crossing her arms.

Lee reached out, trying to touch her shoulder. he didnt know what was wrong, but he was doing his best. She easily brushed his hand aside and said nothing, but Leenknew if he tried on more thing he was going to get it.

As he sadly walked away, Clementine took two bites of the bacon before standing and grabbing her blue coat.

"Isnt it sort of warm for that?" Lee asked.

Clementne huffed in annoyance and opened the door.

"im going to Septembers house, d-Lee." She stutterd. Wincing as she almost called him dad. She shut the door with a slam.

Lee leaned on the counter and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didnt know what to do with her.

The phone began ringing, Lee lifted his head and picked it up.

"Hello?"

" _oh my god... Oh my god... Lee?! Is that you?"_

 _..._

Clementine kicked rocks along the road impatiently as she made her way up the street. Leaves had already began to change colors and the originally green trees were now an pretty mix or reds, oranges, and yellows. But Clementine didnt want to see that. She didnt want to go back to school.

She neared the familiar wooden balcolny of her friends house, which was painted a pretty teal color. She stepped up the stairs and knocked on the door.

Septembers father came to the door.

"Hello, Clementine." He greeted. "September was up since six. Shes in the back yard if you need her."

"Thanks, mister." She answered, before backing away and heading around to the back. Septembers father waved goodbye and shut the door.

"September? Clementine called, opening the wooden gate. She heard nothing, then a nerf bullet shot past her ear. She heard it whistle as it struck the wooden fence.

"Dang, i missed!" September said jokingly, coming out and around from behind a nearby tree.

"You had more than a clear shot, to." Clementine added, bending to pick the foam bullet up. She tossed it to September, who caught it in midstride.

"Next time, BOOP! Right in your coconut." September said, tapping Clementines hat with her pointer finger. She smirked and offered the nerf gun to Clem. "You wanna shoot me?"

"No, September. I actually wanted to talk."

September through her hands up in the air. "Hey, dont look at me. You know im terrible with advice."

Clementine sighed, tilting her head and raising and eyebrow at September.

September chuckled. "Alright, fine. But the second you get arrested for listening to me, i never was a part of this" she winked. Clementine grinned and gestured her to follow her over to the porch. Together, they sat down.

"So, what is it?"

Clementine breathed in heavily, feeling saddened all of the sudden. She turned her head to look at September with a side glance up from under her hat.

"its about my mom..." Clementine began.

 **A/N thanks to Aspect Of Unoriginal Thought for allowing me to use September!**


	3. Chapter 3

"... i think she might've just left me for good. For the rest of my life." Clementine sighed.

September leaned in closer, furrowing her brow in concern. She hasnt seen Clementine this down before, and it worried her.

"She abandoned me. Up and left when I needed her most. Left me to live this crappy life. No real mother, no real father. Just an uncle who i still barely know."

September leaned in and hugged her. September wasnt a hugger for sure, hell, she hated hugs. Especially from random people at random times. But now, her friend needed this hug, and she knew it was the right moment. So she forced herself to wrap her arms around Clems shoulders and squeeze her. She has only ever hugged Clementine before, and she only lets Clem hug her.

Clementine began to cry, she leaned into ber hands and let it out. Why did her mom leave her? She promised! Nearly four years have passed now, and she still hasnt come home. The... D-dirty liar!

"To be honest, youve never tried to get to know your uncle better." September mentioned. "Ive seen you. He says hi, you shrug him off and ignore him. Like you dont want him to be in your life. Why?"

Clementine pulled away agressively.

"Its true, Clem. And you know it. You never speak to him about your problems. I honestly dont know what your going through, but... Jeeze, if you would just speak to him im sure things could get better"

Clementine turned her head and narrowed her eyes at September.

"what do you know?!"

September stood up. "I know that nothing will go well in your life if your to afraid to try!"

Clementine flinched.

September sighed and offerd a hand to Clementine.

"Im sorry." She said. "Just... Talk to your uncle, okay? Just try it. For me."

Clementine stared at her friends hand for a moment, uncertainy in her gaze, before taking it and standing up. But as soon as she was on her feet, she brushed September aside and made her way to the fence door, wiping her teary eyes with her sleeve and sniffing.

"C'mon, Cleme-"

SLAM!

...

Clementine felt her eyes and cheeks burning as she trudged down her street, blinking back her tears. She had her hood pulled over her head as she kicked rocks down the neighbors drives. She wiped her eye as she passed by Luke's house.

"Hey, Clem! Howya doin'?" He called from his garage as he carried a box out and set in on his truck. Wiping his brow, he turned to see her trudge by, ignoring his greeting. Walking a little faster, attempting to avoid a conversation.

"Clem?"

Clementine still didnt respond. She reached her house and opened the door. Shutting it with a loud bang.

The second She shut the door, she was a mess. She tore her coat off and slumped against the wall, slowly sliding until she was hugging her knees to her chest. She buried her head into her hands and bawled. Her shoulder shaking as the tension was released. She slammed her fist in to the wall in frustration. She kicked a shoe over and it hit the wall.

Lee came rushing out of the kitchen at the sound of the noise, and immediatly spotted Clementine at the bottem of the staircase, crying and scrunched up in to a ball.

"clementine!" He exclaimed, making his way over to her. She stopped him before he could reach her.

"No! Go away!" She croaked angrily, looking up at him with glossy eyes and red cheeks. Lee was having none of it.

"Just let me help you! What happened?!" He tried. Kneeling and placing a hand on her sobbing shoulder. She brushed it aside and shoved him back, standing straight up. Lee stumbled and looked shocked that she had hit him.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed.

Lee stepped back.

Shaking, she turned around and continued to cry.

Stomping up the stairs while gasping through her tears, Clementine reached the top.

"Why cant you talk to me?!" He demanded. She paused, shaking with her head down and fists clenched.

"BECAUSE I WANT MY REAL FAMILY!" She screamed, and she slammed her bedroom door.

...

Clementine slammed the door and sank down again. Her arm brushed something hanging on her wall, and it clattered to the floor. two things. A wooden frame witha photograph of her family, and a photograph of her mom.

Clementine felt an unbearable urge of rage come over her. In anger, she grabbed a large book from her messy floor and slammed it down on the photograph that included her father. She did this over and over until the glass part broke and peices of paper were flying. Her hat fell off, and some of her short hair flew into her face and hung there.

"I hate you! I hate you! You ruined my life!"

After a moment, she stopped.

She tossed the book aside, panting. She put her hat back on and started to stand, kicking thenremains of the photograph away, but not Before her gaze settled on the photograph of her mother. Her smiling and everything. Like she was okay with it. It made Clementine mad.

She wrapped her hands around the firm wooden edges,, taken it over to her sidetable while staring at her mothers face. She eyed the hard edge of the table and the soft glass encasing of the frame thoughtfully while a renewed supply of tears left her face. Suddenly, she lifted the photo above her head and brought it down so it bashed against the sidetable, shattering it instantly. She kept doing this over and over.

"You left me! You left me alone! I hate you! I hate you!" She screamed. In her rage she didnt hear her bedroom door open and the footsteps that followed.

"Clementne! Jesus fucking christ! Calm down!"

Somebody bearhugged Clementine, prying the photograph from her hand. In a fit of rage she fought back, squirming in whoevers arms she was being held in.

"Let me go!" She screamed. Kicking and thrashing.

Whoever it was set her down on her bed and turned her around to face them. Lee looked her in the eyes and heldher arms down so she couldnt hit him. She felt the tears pouring now, and she hyperventilated trying to fight him.

"Clementine, please! It okay, just calm down." Lee assured, still restraining her arms as she tried to resist.

"Engh!" She grunted, fighting. Her chest was heaving with three years worth of pent up rage, frustration, guilt, hurt, neglect, and depression.

"Sh, sh, its okay, its okay." He whispered, releasing her arms when she relaxed slightly. Cupping her face in his hands to keep her eyes on him. She felt the tears flooding from her eyes and her cheeks burned.

"its okay, sweet pea." He whispered. "Its alright."

Clementines broken expression met Lee's comforting gaze, and her unused tears burned in the back of her mind. She helplessly stared at him before doing the unexpected. She dove forward and wrapped her arms around him, burying he face into his shirt. Lee widened his eyes in surprise at her act of affection. And he hesitated. This certainly wasnt Clmentine.

She didnt care what he was thinking at that moment honestly, she just need someone to hug. Someone to talk to. Someone to care. She needed someone to show her that they loved her.

"Lee..." She whimpered into his shirt, her cries muffled. He smiled and hugged her back, pulling her close, savoring the moment. She seemed so small now, so vulnerable. She was trembling in Lee's arms.

"im sorry... Im so sorry..." She choked out in barely audible whisperes. Lee kissed her on the head. Much to his own surprise, she didnt respond.

"Its okay, sweet pea. Its okay..."

...

Clementine pulled away, feeling guilty and humiliated. She never knew herself that she was capable of that kind of thing. It frightened her to some extent.

Lee folded his hands in to lap, looking down at her small face.

"Im still here if you need me, you know." He reminded her.

Clementine nodded and wiped her eyes.

Lee smiled and stood, walking towards the door with the intention of exiting. But Clementine stopped him by grabbing shoulder. Turning him around.

The two made eye contact, and Clementine smiled through her glazed eyes.

"I would like to talk to you downstairs, Uncle Lee." She said.

Lee grinned,

"that would be great." He said. He offered her a hand.

But she shook her head, denying his gesture and brushing his hand away.

"Give me a minute." She asked.

Lee cocked an eyebrow, before affectionaly shrugging and exiting the room.

"see ya when you get down." He added, shutting the door behind him.

"Lee?" She askd.

Lee poked his head back in. "Hm?"

Clementine stuttered, looking at a lost for words. She twiddled her thumbs nervously before making eye contact with him directly.

"I- i lov- i love you." She mumbled incoherently.

Lee looked shocked again, but he nodded and smiled in response.

"And i love you to, Clem. "

He shut the door.

Clementines gaze immediatly looked down, over where the picture frame of her mother had fallen. She climbed out of bed and picked the photo part out of the rubble. Brushing the broken glass, plastic, and wood off it. She gazed sadly at the image of her mother, so happy. Only moment ago set on destroying it completly. She felt a sort of fondness growing next to her hurt. Hurt of being left alone for so long.

With one last sidelong glance at the image, she Tossed it back on top of her sidetable. Unbeknowst to her, it slid behind her bed.

Clementine opened the door and head downstairs to the kitchen, shutting her room behind her.


End file.
